Photographic printing easel



Patented Nov. 16, 1 948 U NIT ED S T AT- ES PATENT i OFFICE 2,454;097 PHOTOGEAPHIC PRINTING EASEL Floyd V. Schleimer, SanEranciscQpCalif. Application March 2, 1946, Serial No. 651,444

3'Claims.

This invention relates to photographic equipment and particularly to a device iorholdingenlarging paper-in an enlarging apparatus.

Particularly, this invention relates to an easel adapted to be used in connectionwith conventional enlarging equipment and in which a number of the standard sizes of enlarging paper may be held.

The conventional devices used for this purpose are unduly complicated and furthermore do not provide the flexibility required. In addition the construction is such that it is troublesome to adjust the same to enlarging sheets of. various sizes, including standard sizes such as 8 bylO inches, by 7 inches, etc.

It is an object of the present invention to, provide a relatively simple photographic enlarging easel which can be quickly adjusted. for photographic enlarging paper of various conventional sizes.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a photographic enlarging easel which provides margins of predetermined width and design upon the enlarged picture.

. It is a further object of this invention to pro vide a photographic easel having standard masking media by which a portion of the picture may or may not be masked according to the wishes of I the user.

Further objects and advantages of .-this.de,vice will appear from the following specificationwhen taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of a photographic easel incorporating my invention;

Figure 2 is a facsimile of an enlargement made upon the easel shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the easel shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of one corner of the easel shown in Figure 1 showing how a tab may be amxed to one of the masking devices;

Figure 5 is a plan view of 'my photographic easel adapted to be used with a smalLsize of :enlarging paper; and

Figure 6 is a facsimile of a picture showing the margins obtained by the device illustrated in Figure 5.

As shown in Figures 1, 3 and 5 I have provided a base H] in the form or a flat plate or board. This plate is provided with a plurality of longitudinal parallel grooves l'l, I2, 13 and M which are spaced apart generally as shown, and preferably so as to accommodate the standard sizes of enlarging paper. For example, grooves I2, l3

h and I4 may be spaced apart slightly more' than 5, T'and 8 inches-respectively from groove l l.

Grove H is adapted to accommodate aflanged guide and margin formingmember !5 as-shown in the drawing."'This member I5 is preferablyin the form of a strip made of moldable plastic or like material and is'firmly' held in groove ll. A like flanged member I6 is held in=-the slot" l4. A

.third flanged member" H is adapted to be placed in either of grooves 12 or l3 (or to be removed in entirety) as will hereinafter be more fully explained. As shown in Figure 3" flanged members 15. and I6, and also member H, are adapted to l overlie a portion of the'base I0 and, consequently,

.the side edges of a sheet of enlarging paper when the .same is placed upon. base 19.

I have alsoprovided a.p.lurality of, holes adjacent each side edge of. base. ID, asi-shown.

. Theseholes are adapted. to accommodate-up standing locating members or pins 2|. Pins-2i are. of suitable length. and are .provided. with flanges. 2 I.a..w,hereby they. may be urged into holes .20. with apQrtiOnl-thereof extending above the ..base-.l0.a-nd the upper :iaces of-members l5, 16

and I1.

I also. provide a .pair. of; strip-like masking members. 22 and 23... These members mayor may .not.be identical, :but.;as .s-howmhereinconsist of duplicate -members .each...of which has one straight. edge 22a. .Thetother side edge is provided with a tab 221) the use of, which willfoe hereinafter-more,fully explained. .E'ach of. the members 22 l and 2-3 isproyided with openings. 24 near its ends and which are-adapted to :accommodate thepinsil as shown inFigures 1,3 and 5.

l A. pin .26: or other suitable stop. is" mountedxin base: lfiandprovides anabutment against which .the'lupper. end of a sheet of enlarging paper: may

be placed to determine. its properylongitu'din al position on the base In.

(Use .ofrthe .devicezmay be more fully explained asfol-lows: A: sheet ofcel'rlalfglng paper 21,..as

shown-by;the=;dotted ."line' in Figure 1, is placed :upon. theabase lGiwith.itswsideiedges underlying changed; members: t5 and: i6 as shown. 2 ":The paper is. preferably 1 slid; into)- ;posit-ion. .by placing. its

side edges under the horizontal flanged portions of members i5 and 16 at one end of the base board, after which it is slid over the board with its side edges being guided by members l5 and [6, until it strikes abutment 25. Masking member 22 is placed upon pins 2! at the upper edge of base H) as shown in either Figures 1 or 5. The other end masking member 23 is placed upon corresponding pins 2i generally as shown in either Figures 1 or 5. A portion of members Hand 23 will overlie the end edges of the enlarging paper as shown by the dotted line in Figure 1. Tabs 22b in Figure 1 are so placed that they will mask an additional portion of the enlarging paper whereupon the ultimate picture which is produced will be that shown in Figure 2, in which members 2221) have formed blocked out portions 2% of that picture. End masking means 22 and 23 have formed end margins 29 and 3! respectively and the overhanging flanges on members l5 and it have formed side margins 3i and 32 respectively. The portions 28 may be utilized to provide a space within which various notations may be placed. They may also be utilized to vary the margins of the picture to suit the wishes of the operator.

As shown in Figure 1, the device utilizes the largest piece of enlarging paper and presents the largest picture obtainable. Member il in this instance is not used. However, as shown in Figure 5, a smaller enlargement (i. e. 5 by 7 inches) may be made. The removable strip l'i has been placed in groove l2 and a piece of enlarging paper of suitable width has been slid under the members i5 and ill and abuts the pin 25. The end masking member 22 has been placed in a position with its straight edge covering the upper end of the enlarging paper. Pins Zia have been placed in selected holes 20 and end member 23 placed thereon with its straight edge uppermost and overlying the lower end of the enlarging paper. With the device so used a picture generally as shown in Figure 6 will be obtained with the end margins 33 and 34 having been made by use of members 22 and 23 respectively and the side margins 35 and 3E having been made by the overhanging portions of members i! and 55 respectively.

It will be appreciated that any desired margin design may be obtained by using a particular masking member 22 or 23, having an edge incorporating the desired design or contour.

As shown in Figure 5, other series of holes may be provided adjacent grooves l2 and [3 to cooperate with holes a and 2th and in members 22 and 23. In this manner greater adjustability is obtained and when smalle paper is used and member i'i utilized in either groove i2 or l3, masking members 22 and 23 may be used in any desired arrangement to obtain the desired margins.

As shown in Figure 4, other techniques may be utilized with my device. For example, a very thin and clear piece of Celluloid 38 may be af fixed to member 22 and extend over the edge thereof onto the enlarging paper. Any opaque matter appearing on Celluloid 38 will be transferred to the enlarged picture as shown in the upper left hand corner of Figure 2.

I claim:

1. In a photographic enlargement easel, a base, a fixed flanged guide adjacent one side edge of said base, a second strip-like flanged guide adapted to be positioned in any one of a plurality of predetermined positions parallel to said first named flanged guide, the flanges on said guides forming masking media adapted to overlie the side edges of enlarging paper placed on said base, a pair of reversible opaque masking members extending the width of said base, a plurality of pins adjacent the side edges of said base, openings in said masking members adapted to receive selected pins so that said opaque masking members may be placed parallel to each other over said base at a desired distance apart, at least one of said end masking media having one straight edge and one irregular edge whereby either a straight or irregular edge may be caused to overlie the adjacent edge of said enlarging paper.

2. In a photographic enlargement easel, a fixed flanged guide, a second flanged guide adapted to be positioned in any one of a plurality of predetermined positions parallel to said first named flanged guide, the flanges on said guides forming maskin media adapted to overlie opposite edges of enlarging pape placed between said guides, a pair of reversible opaque strip-like masking members, a plurality of pins adjacent said guides, openings in said masking membes adapted to cooperate with selected pins so that said opaque maskin members may be placed parallel to each other over said base, at least one of said end masking members having one straight edge and one irregular edge whereby either a straight or irregular edge may be made to overlie one edge of said enlarging paper.

3. In a photographic enlargement easel, a base, a plurality of parallel grooves in said base, a fixed flanged guide in one of said grooves adjacent one side edge of said base, a second flanged guide adapted to be positioned in any one of said parallel grooves and parallel to said first named flange guide, the flanges on said guides forming masking media adapted to overlie the said edges of enlarging paper placed on said base, a plurality of pins adjacent the side edges of said base and outside the area between said flanged guides, a pair of reversible masking media extending the width of said base and having openings therein adapted to engage certain of said pins so that said reversible masking members may be placed parallel to each other and over said base and said flanged guides at a desired distance apart, at least one of said end masking media having one straight edge and one irregular edge whereby either a straight or irregular edge may be caused to overlie the adjacent edge of said enlarging paper at either side thereof.

FLOYD V. SCHLEIMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Moore Nov. 26, 1940 

